In the last two posts we covered how the pet food industry has used many ingredients to bolster its protein content with food products that are less than desirable for your dog's health. This week's post is meant to include a more all encompassing look at what you don't want to see on your pet food label. Next week we will tackle what you do want to look for in your furry best friend's food, so be sure to stay tuned!

Binders: An inexpensive by-product of human food processing which offers very little nutritional value and serves mainly to bind food together. These can cause allergy or sensitivity reactions that include skin and coat issues, digestive issues.

The two most common binders are - Corn Gluten & Wheat Gluten

Carbohydrate Sources: Carbohydrates are part of a balanced diet for our pets. However, there are many sources that provide little to no nutritional value and even some that cause detriment to your pet's health. The following is a list of the inexpensive byproduct of human food and/or beverage production with possible chemical residue contamination, sweeteners or other additive.

Coloring Agents: Not only are these completely unnecessary but have been shown to cause tumors of the adrenal gland, kidney and brain. In addition these have been shown to cause occasional allergic reactions. Avoid all foods with coloring agents!

These include but are not limited to: Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6

Fat Sources: Fats are another important building block of your pet's diet, but again there are sources to avoid for health reasons. Dogs and cats like the taste of this fat, so it is often used to make low-quality food more palatable. The problem is there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.

Fats to avoid:Non- Specified Animal Fat, Beef Tallow, Vegetable Oil

Fiber Sources: Fiber is another important component of a healthy diet for our pets. As with all the rest, the pet industry has found a way to use an inexpensive byproduct of human food processing, commonly referred to as 'floor sweepings'. They contain no real nutritional value and pose health problems to your four-legged best friend by taxing his/her system with "food" they cannot digest or gain nutrients from.

Flavoring Agents: These are commonly unspecified parts of unspecified animals. The animals used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Just like we have seen before any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on. These can also be made from a chemical substance like msg which has been shown to cause health issues in humans, so it's safe to say could create the same problem for our pets.

Preservatives: The chemical preservatives used by many pet food companies have been show to be carcinogenic (can cause cancer). Many have been banned for use in many countries because of their known health effects.

Preservatives to avoid: BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, Propyl Gallate

Protein Sources: We all intuitively know how important protein is for our pets, but did you know the source of protein is extremely important to consider. Corn can be a source of protein as well as carbohydrate, but we would never expect to find our dogs ravaging a corn field like they would a nice piece of steak. Many pet food companies save money on their products by substituting non-meat sources of protein or using meat by-products which have no standard, disease, or contamination control for the real deal...healthy meat.

Sweeteners: Sugar or sweetener is an absolutely unnecessary ingredient in pet foods, added to make the product more attractive. Continuous intake can promote hypoglycemia, obesity, nervousness, cataracts, tooth decay, arthritis and allergies. Pets also get addicted to foods that contain sugars, so it can be a tough piece of work to make them eat something healthier.

At Nature's Select Pet Food we only use meat as the protein source and primary energy source for our pet food because we understand that is what is healthiest for our furry best friends. We do not use fillers or by-products in our food. We were among the few pet foods awarded the seal of approval in 2017 from Whole Dog Journal for proving our food is made from wholesome top of the line ingredients as well as being complete and balanced diet for your beloved pet.

If you are interested in giving our food a try please use the coupon code First10 to get $10 off of your first order. We also offer FREE shipping on all of your orders over $25.